Uber to buy 24,000 driverless-compatible Volvos

Volvo Cars has signed a framework agreement with Uber to sell tens of thousands of autonomous driving compatible base vehicles between 2019 and 2021.

The car company says the base vehicles are developed on Volvo Cars’ fully modular, in-house developed Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which it says is one of the most advanced car architectures in the world and is currently used on Volvo Cars’ top-of-the-line 90 series cars as well as on the new XC60 midsize SUV.

The companies say that the non-exclusive agreement enhances the strategic partnership between Volvo Cars and Uber announced in August 2016 and also “marks a new chapter in the convergence of car makers and Silicon Valley-based technology companies”.

“The automotive industry is being disrupted by technology and Volvo Cars chooses to be an active part of that disruption,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. “Our aim is to be the supplier of choice for AD ride-sharing service providers globally. Today’s agreement with Uber is a primary example of that strategic direction.”

Volvo says its engineers have worked closely with engineers from Uber to develop the XC90 premium SUVs that are to be supplied to Uber. The base vehicles incorporate all necessary safety, redundancy and core autonomous driving technologies that are required for Uber to add its own self-driving technology.

“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Volvo,” said Jeff Miller, Head of Auto Alliances, Uber. “This new agreement puts us on a path towards mass produced self-driving vehicles at scale.”

At the same time as providing Uber with AD compatible cars, Volvo says it will use the same base vehicle in the development of its own independent autonomous car strategy, which is planned to culminate in the release of its first fully autonomous car in 2021.